<span style="color: #222222;">Austrian Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, a key figure of the European far-right, has resigned after explosive revelations from a hidden camera sting, just days before key EU elections. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Mr Strache said in a televised statement in Vienna today that he tendered his resignation as vice-chancellor of Austria to Chancellor Kurz, which has been accepted.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Media reports emerged yesterday alleging that Mr Strache promised public contracts in return for campaign help from a fake Russian backer he met in a luxury villa on the island of Ibiza a few months before 2017's parliamentary elections in Austria.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">However, Mr Strache insisted that he was the victim of a targeted political attack which had used illegal means, but that he was leaving in order to avoid further damage to the government. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Germany's Der Spiegel and Sueddeutsche Zeitung published hidden-camera recordings of the sting operation.</span><br />